Foldable emergency reflecting device

ABSTRACT

A foldable emergency reflecting device comprising three members having reflective media thereon. Each member comprises two arms extending at an acute angle with respect to an apex. The ends of the arms are pivotally interconnected such that the members can be extended to form an emergency reflective triangle or folded to form a compact triangle for storage. A foldable base is provided.

The invention relates to reflecting devices and particularly to anemergency reflecting device.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

In connection with emergency roadway use, it has heretofore beensuggested that warning devices be provided that can be positioned on theroadway substantially in advance of a disabled vehicle to warn oncomingmotorists. Such devices have generally taken the form of burning flaresand retro-reflective reflectors.

It has been considered impractical for most motorists to use the burningflare type of advance warning signal due to the fact that many motoristsare adverse to using this type of device.

Heretofore, the most commonly used type of advance warning device was asystem comprising a flat horizontal base meeting the roadway surface,and an upright housing perpendicular to the base, having located withinit four reflex reflectors of approximately 3 inches in diameter, onereflector above the other, and each of these having a mating reflectoropposingly disposed to provide reflectivity for motorists approachingdisabled vehicles from either the front or the rear.

Recent federal legislation in the United States and Canada provides foran advance warning device comprising an equilateral triangle, havingthree sides of approximately two to 3 inches in width, and approximately17 to 22 inches in length. The width of the individual legs is dividedinto two segments, one comprising red reflective material, and the othercomprising orange fluorescent material; these jointly serving to providefor an internal triangle of orange fluorescent material, and a largerouter triangle of red reflective material. The purpose for so dividingeach of the triangle's legs is to provide a reflective component fornight time use, and a fluorescent component for daytime use. The redreflective component is designed to utilize either spherical beads orcubed prism retroreflective elements, and the orange fluorescent sectionis designed to convert ultra-violet radiant energy from the sun into asegment of the visible spectrum to delineate the device for daytime use.The standards for the red reflective section and the orange fluorescentsection are in all aspects, except for photometric quality, set forth inthe applicable sections of the Society of Automotive Engineersstandards. The warning device must be so designed that it is capable ofreturning, at an observation angle of 0.2° and an entrance angle of 0°,80 candlepower per foot-candle incident upon the device to be measuredat 100 feet. At an observation angle of 1.5°, and a 0° entrance angle,the unit must yield 0.8 candlepower per incident foot-candle.

An important factor in the legislation, as it has been presented forfinal approval, is the fact that the device must be capable ofwithstanding a wind velocity of 40 miles per hour. Notwithstanding thefact that this is generously provided for by virtue of the opening inthe center of the triangle, it has proven almost impossible to meetthese reqirements without the use of a substantially rugged basecomprising very secure means for holding the reflecting device to thebase member. An object of this invention is to provide such a base andsupport combination in unison with a triangular warning flare.

A further object of the invention is to provision for a convenientstorage in a motor vehicle, considering fully the possibility that anautomobile could sustain very severe frontal or rearend damage in acollision, and at that time a flare would be required. It is impracticalto consider storage of these devices in the trunk area, since jamming ordistortion of the sheet metal of the body could preclude access to thedevice. Previous systems have generally comprised a collapsed structurefar too large to conveniently store under automobile seats; especiallyin the case of compact and subcompact vehicles. Thus, a further objectof this invention is to provide a structure whereby storage beneath theseat is completely practical.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention describes a foldable emergency reflecting devicecomprising three members having reflective and fluorescent mediathereon. Each member comprises two arms extending at an acute angle withrespect to an apex. The ends of the arms are pivotally interconnectedsuch that the members can be extended to form an emergency reflectivetriangle. One of the connections is releasable so that the device can befolded to form a compact triangle for storage comprising only onequarter of the area of the open triangle. Conventional means formanufacturing this type of device yields a unit which will only collapseto approximately one half of its extended area. The device alsocomprises a foldable base.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the device embodying the invention inexpanded or unfolded condition.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the same in folded condition.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alongthe line 3--3 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alongthe line 4--4 in FIG. 1.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view on an enlarged scale taken alongthe line 5--5 in FIG. 1.

FIGS. 6-8 are views showing the manner in which the device is folded toa compact condition for storage.

DESCRIPTION

Referring to FIG. 1, the foldable reflecting device embodying theinvention comprises three substantially identical members 10, 11, 12made of plastic material and preferably having cube corners reflectiveelements 13 on one side thereof and strips 14 of fluorescent materialalong the inner edges of the opposite side.

Each of the reflective members includes arms extending at an angle withrespect to an apex, being 60 degrees. Thus, the member 10 includes arms15, 16 the member 11 includes arms 17, 18 and the member 12 includesarms 19, 20. One arm 16 of member 10 is pivoted about an axis transverseto the plane of the arms to arm 17 of member 11 by a headed pivot pin 21(FIG. 5) with a resilient washer 22 interposed between the arm 16 andthe arm 17. Similarly, the other arm 18 of member 11 is pivoted to thearm 19 of member 12 by a headed pivot pin 23. The other arm 20 of member12 is interconnected with arm 15 of member 10 by a releasable connectionformed by a pin 24 on arm 15 that extends into a metal cup 25 held onarm 20 by a pin 26. The cup 25 has a resilient spring 27 therein whichresiliently surrounds and grips a tapered surface 28 on the pin 24 sothat the arm 15 is releasably engaged in the arm 20 but may be readilyreleased without the use of tools.

A base is provided for the reflecting device and includes flat legs 30,31, 32, 33 which are pivoted to one another by a pin 34. Pin 34 holds abracket 35 that is U-shaped and receives the end of the arm 18 of member11. The legs 30-33 can be folded into overlying relationship as shown inFIGS. 2, 7 and 8. Since the legs are in different planes, legs 30, 31have downwardly extending projections 36, 37 which engage the ground andhold the device in level position when the legs are unfolded.

Each of the members 10, 11, 12 is provided with laterally extendingintegral projections 38 adjacent the apex thereof. The projections 38 ofthe members 11, 12 extend into openings 39, 40 in the legs 31, 30,respectively when the device is in expanded position to provide rigidityto the triangle that is formed.

Referring to FIGS. 7 and 8, in order to fold the device to compactcondition, the connection between the arms 15, 20 is broken by movingthe arms 15, 20 laterally or transversely with respect to one anotherand then the member 12 is folded, as shown in broken lines in FIG. 6,until the leg 20 overlaps the leg 17. The member 10 is then foldeddownwardly until the arm 16 overlaps the arm 19 and the arm 15 overlapsthe arm 18.

After the member 12 has been folded upwardly, the legs can be foldedinto overlying relationship as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8. The resultantstructure is compact and easily stored but may be readily expanded to beused for emergency purposes. It is noted that the end of arm 19 isrounded to prevent interference with the leg 30 during folding.

I claim: .[.1. In a foldable emergency reflecting device, thecombination comprising and means interconnecting said legs and saidmembers..]..[.19. The combination set forth in claim 18 wherein saidlast-mentioned means comprises openings in said legs and integralprojections on said members..]..[.20. The combination set forth in claim19 wherein said projections on said members are adjacent the apices ofsaid members..]..[.21. The combination set forth in claim 19 wherein theuppermost leg of said legs includes a downwardly extending projectionadapted to engage the ground when said legs are in extended position..]..Iadd.22. In a foldable emergency reflecting device, the combinationcomprisingthree members having reflective media thereon, each membercomprising a pair of arms rigidly connected to one another and extendingat an acute angle to one another, means pivotally interconnecting theend of the arm of one of said members with the end of the one arm of asecond member, means pivotally interconnecting the end of the other armof the second member to one arm of the third member, and meansreleasably interconnecting the other arm of the third member to theother arm of the first member to provide a generally triangularconstruction such that when said means releasably interconnecting isdisconnected, the members may be swung relative to one another toproduce a compact folded construction, said means pivotallyinterconnecting the end of the arm of one of said members with the endof the arm of a second member comprising a bracket fixed on said one armof said one of said members and transverse pin means pivoting said armof said second member to said bracket and said one arm of said onemember, a base provided for the reflecting device including flat legspivoted to one another by a pin on said bracket, at least some of saidlegs being foldable between a position overlying one another adjacentsaid bracket and the arm of one of said members to a position generallyat a right angle to the plane of said members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.23. Thecombination set forth in claim 22 wherein said axis of said pin meansand said pivotal axis of said legs are adjacent one another andintersect. .Iaddend. .Iadd.24. The combination set forth in claim 23wherein the length of each said leg is substantially the same as thelength of said one arm of said first member. .Iaddend. .Iadd.25. Thecombination set forth in claim 22 wherein at least two of said legs areprovided to extend in underlying relation to two of said members whensaid members are in the unfolded condition, and means interconnectingsaid last mentioned legs and said two members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.26. Thecombination set forth in claim 25 wherein said last-mentioned meanscomprises openings in said legs and integral projections on said membersengaging said openings. .Iaddend. .Iadd.27. The combination set forth inclaim 25 wherein said projections on said members are adjacent theapices of said members. .Iaddend. .Iadd.28. The combination set forth inclaim 26 wherein the uppermost leg of said legs includes a downwardlyextending projection adapted to engage the ground when said legs are inextended position. .Iaddend.